Fire on Coletoville Road burns 25 acres, trailer home

June 15, 2011 at 1:15 a.m.

Isaiah Rodriguez, 7, left, and his brother Carlos, 9, are observed by their sisters as they extinguish the remaining hot spots on their property, using a cooler full of water. The grass fire consumed about 25 to 30 acres and an abandoned mobile home. It was mostly extinguished Wednesday on the 6300 block of Coletoville Road. Carlos accidentally started the fire by trying to burn trash from remodeling the house during the current burn ban.

A fire at 6330 Coletoville Road damaged more than 25 acres and destroyed an unoccupied mobile home at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Victoria Fire Department Battalion Chief Tracy Fox.

The fire was started by Carlos Rodriguez, 9, of Victoria. His family members were renovating their property at the same address on Coletoville Road so they could rent it, removing old paneling and cleaning up the land. Carlos Rodriguez, 31, of Victoria, said the family had burned rubbish on the property in the past, but because the burn ban was in effect, they took their trash into the city to dispose of it.

The older Rodriguez had collected a pile of old paneling from inside the house and trash from around the house, but he instructed Carlos that they were not going to start a fire. When Rodriguez went into the house to sweep the floor, Carlos poured lighter fluid on the rubbish and set it ablaze.

"I just wanted to help," Carlos said.

When Rodriguez came outside and saw the flames, he called the fire department, and he and his family attempted to extinguish it.

The fire spread northwest, burning the acres and destroying a trailer home on adjacent property, which Rodriguez said had not been occupied in about five years.

Volunteer fire departments from Quail Creek, Raisin and Nursery all responded to the fire in addition to the Victoria Fire Department.

Fire Marshal Ronald Pray said officials would not cite Carlos with arson because of his age.

Rodriguez will be charged with a burn ban violation and fined $600, Pray said.

The owner of the damaged property can decide whether to press charges as well.